Australia reaffirmed their supremacy in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with a commanding six-wicket win over England at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday. The defending champions chased down 245 with 57 balls to spare, riding on Ashleigh Gardner’s unbeaten 104 and Annabel Sutherland’s 98 not out, to move to the top of the points table.
Earlier in the day, Sutherland’s 3 for 60, supported by Gardner (2 for 39) and Sophie Molineux (2 for 52), helped restrict England to 244 for 9.
Ashleigh and Annabel Turn the Game Around
What began as a precarious chase at 68 for 4 transformed into a masterclass in composure and counterattack. The unbeaten 180-run stand between Gardner and Sutherland not only rescued Australia but also emphatically sealed victory.
It was pretty fun, always good batting with Ash — she keeps the game moving. When you got in, it was a really nice wicket. I just tried to trust my game. We knew the game would keep moving with such hard ground to defend on. The spinners did a fantastic job, especially Alana King.
Sutherland, who had been short of runs earlier in the tournament, found her rhythm at the perfect time. Her innings featured nine fours and a six, combining poise and aggression, while Gardner accelerated breathtakingly from fifty to a century in just 22 balls, hammering 16 boundaries.
England Strike Early but Lose Grip
England had started superbly. Lauren Bell produced a beauty to dismiss Phoebe Litchfield for one, before Linsey Smith (2 for 43) removed Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry to leave Australia wobbling at 46 for 3 — their worst powerplay this tournament.
When Beth Mooney fell for 20, England appeared on top. But the fifth-wicket pair of Gardner and Sutherland blunted the attack, mixing clean hitting with intelligent rotation of strike. The partnership grew steadily as boundaries began to flow freely against an increasingly weary England attack.
Sutherland reached her half-century off 66 balls, while Gardner’s fluent 47-ball fifty set the tone for the final assault. Their shot selection, particularly against spin, exposed England’s inability to maintain pressure once the initial breakthroughs faded.
We didn’t have enough runs. Alana King bowled very well in the middle overs and really restricted us. Tammy played well, but the partnership between Ash and Belsey just took the game away from us.
Despite Tammy Beaumont’s 78 and a promising 38 from Alice Capsey, England’s total fell short on a placid surface. Alana King’s 10-over spell for just 20 runs was pivotal in choking the scoring rate through the middle overs.
Australia’s Ruthless Finish
The closing stages belonged entirely to Gardner and Sutherland. Gardner punished Nat Sciver-Brunt with a series of powerful drives and pulls, while Sutherland’s timing through the off side was immaculate. Gardner brought up her hundred with a thick edge to third man, while Sutherland narrowly missed her own ton after being dropped on 97.
Gardner finished the job in style, lofting one through the covers to seal Australia’s six-wicket win, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Brief Scores: England 244/9 in 50 overs (Tammy Beaumont 78, Alice Capsey 38; Annabel Sutherland 3-60, Ashleigh Gardner 2-39) Australia 248/4 in 40.3 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 104*, Annabel Sutherland 98*; Linsey Smith 2-43, Lauren Bell 1-48).Result: Australia won by six wickets.
